U.S. Marine from Elizabeth dies in Afghanistan

Courtesy the Jackson FamilyAn undated photo of Lance Cpl. Francisco Jackson, of Elizabeth, who was killed in Afghanistan on Oct. 19, 2010.

It’s been a hellish month for the U.S. Marines of Camp Pendleton.

In just the past week, ten of their own have been killed in Afghanistan — the youngest 19, the oldest 26 — most of them victims of roadside bombs in the bloody Helmand province.

Today came news of yet another casualty.

Lance Cpl. Francisco R. Jackson, 24, of Elizabeth, was killed Tuesday by an improvised explosive device during a combat operation, said the Department of Defense.

A field artillery cannoneer, Jackson enlisted in the Marine Corps a year ago and was on his first combat deployment. He had been assigned to the 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton in California, and already had been awarded a Purple Heart.

Jackson was the 26th service member with ties to New Jersey to die in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001. Nearly 100 others have died in Iraq since the invasion in 2003. His family could not be immediately located tonight.

The U.S. has been stepping up its presence with tens of thousands of troops in Kandahar and areas of Helmand. This is an effort to add pressure to the violent Taliban strongholds that continue to be reinforced by the infiltration of fighters over the border with Pakistan. Earlier this year, President Obama ordered 21,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan.

More than 50 U.S. service members have died in the past month — at least 10 of them Marines based at Camp Pendleton in California.

On Sunday, Cpl. Jorge Villarreal of San Antonio was also killed by an improvised bomb in Helmand. Sgt. Ian Tawney of Dallas was fatally injured by another device the day before. On Friday, Lance Cpl. James Boelk was hit and killed by hostile fire. And three others were mortally wounded on Thursday

"The events of the past week in Afghanistan remind us we still have a significant fight," said Lt. Gen. Joseph Dunford earlier this week during a change of command ceremony at Camp Pendleton. Dunford, who had commanded the base, is leaving to become assistant commandant of the Marine Corps.